Bugs.
People have these irrational fears of spiders, snakes and all manner of creepy crawlies, but the ones that keep me up at night are the type that sneak into your code when you’re absolutely sure you’ve checked everything. Ugh.
Even with something as simple as my platformer tutorial, not getting certain sound files to loop, making sure the controls respond after a certain event…just…the little things that creep in and throw an entire experience off really get to me.
I can see why a dev might talk themselves into allowing bugs to ship. I mean, how important is it for you to really hear that one “ding” sound towards the end of the map? Will it really take away from your gaming experience? I could talk myself into ignoring these problems, not considering a timer or completely chucking this giant book on timescale out the window, but the truth is…it all matters. My 12yr old nephew even has the coding spark now and tried making his own game with his class. When he comes to me to ask questions what will I say? I can’t very well tell him to pay attention to the details if I was going to ignore it myself, could I? No, the answer is no.(yes, I know, it sounds like I’m still talking myself into doing the work…)
I’ve got to walk the walk and talk the talk. BUT, it is very satisfying when I find the solution. For example, I included a message that appears when you complete the level. I couldn’t figure out how to get the player to restart the map once that triggered, but with a little trial and error I was able to automate that step. Was it the best solution? No, a pause/reset button would be best, but it was one I figured out for myself. Two points for Gryffindor!
So while I struggle to fix these bugs (oh, I know WHY they are happening, but it’s a different matter altogether to figure out HOW to fix them), I’ll share with you my links to help you duplicate these steps and get the basics of game loops, controllers, events and sprites down so that you can try building your own game too! Once these bugs are fixed, and this game is on Scirra Arcade, I’ll actually start working on my card game (gasp!), and then the real work will begin. Why is it essential to build all these examples? Well, I need to have some perspective. It makes it easier for me to design how the card should interact and think about sound effects, animations, power-ups, etc. if I know how this is all structured. Plus, that one dragon animation effect I wanted to do is going into an expansion pack, buddy. LOL, drawing each frame is a pain in the patootie, and I’d instead focus on making sure the logic is sound.
Want to learn to build a platformer using Construct 2? Grab some free resources from
- http://www.gameart2d.com/
- https://www.audioblocks.com/
- https://www.scirra.com/tutorials/top
and let’s get started! Pro-Tip: Don’t pay for the classes you see online to learn this stuff. If my nephew and I can follow a tutorial – SO CAN YOU! Whenever you get lost, do what I do…google it! Works. Every. Time.